Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 237-0013View Website HereKing Bao opened its doors in 2016, and is still going pretty strong to this day, as it is the only place left in Orlando that is dedicated to the Bao.

If you are unfamiliar with what exactly a Bao is, Bao is pretty much a complete meal conveniently packed away in a white, warm, soft bun.

If you remember, Local celebrity chef Greg Richie had a cool spot in Thornton Park called Baoery Asian Gastropub, and while it was a really good and a great concept, it did not last very long, leaving King Bao as the true King in Orlando.

King Bao is chef owned and operated in the Mills 50 District in Orlando. King Bao is a quick service eatery that revolves around highly addictive baos. The small, no frills joint uses high quality ingredients and unique flavors that blend both eastern and western foods.

Accompanying the baos are a childhood favorite, tater tots, which are dressed up for adults and kids alike. King Bao is reasonably priced ranging between $2 - $3.75 per item and is fast casual in its concept, where you order your food, get your drink, then they bring your food to your table.

Inside is not very big, so getting a table may be an issue if they are busy, but you can get your food to go just as well.

Truffle Tots are not to be missed at King Bao with Tots cooked in truffle oil, truffle salt & chives.

The Cuban on the left with Mojo pork, cilantro lime aioli, chicharron and cilantro and the Firecracker Shrimp Bao on the right, with Chili lime marinated shrimp, guacamole, lemon pepper aioli and cilantro. Both were delicious.

From left to right...Pork belly, Korean short rib, Spicy chicken Bao . They were all really good, but the Pork Belly stole the show, you can't really go wrong with this combo.

Although King Bao has a set menu, they usually have daily specials that may not be on the regular menu, just check the sign.

As I said earlier, there is not much room inside King Bao, so plan accordingly when you go, and be ready to get your Bao and Tots to go, but for the price and flavors offered up here, this is a definite must go to spot in the Mills 50 district.

King Bao is open Monday to Thursday from 11:30 am to to 9:30 pm, Friday and Saturday they are open until 10:30 pm, and Sunday they are open from 12:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

The chef driven concept is located in the heart of Downtown Orlando at 116 West Church St. (between Hamburger Mary’s and the train tracks) and will introduce this city to his style of fusion that marries Latin and Asian cuisines in a truly unique way.

“I moved to Orlando this summer and have had the opportunity to explore the different neighborhoods and am just in love with all the different little unique pockets, especially downtown,” Trevino said. “Orlando is in this amazing place right now as a food city, and I feel blessed to be part of what’s happening here and hope that people discover us downtown and get as excited about our food as we are about being here.”

Trevino, a native of California, moved to Puerto Rico in the early 1990s where he solidified his culinary reputation as a star chef with some of the island’s most popular restaurants including Dragonfly, Aguaviva and Budatai. Trevino has cooked dinner at the James Beard Foundation house in New York for their award events, and is frequently featured as a guest chef in food events throughout the US and the Caribbean.

He has made numerous television appearances both in Puerto Rico and the US, including a battle against renowned Chef Mario Batali on Iron Chef America, as a contestant on The Next Iron Chef, with Rachael Ray on her show $40 a Day, as well as on his own local shows Kandela and 4 Minutos con Chef Treviño. He’s currently a recurring guest judge on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay.

A diverse selection of sides range from Teriyaki Tots (Trevino loves tater tots) to Chicharron Popovers. The bar program will place an emphasis on craft cocktails and beer, with an emphasis on local brews and will also serve wine.

“Orlando really seems to love its beer and cocktails, which is great as they pair beautifully with our food,” Trevino said. “Our wine list will be focused, with some really interesting grapes featured, and of course we will have a few of the big guns as well for those who are really into wine.”

Located on Church street, the restaurant is dotted with original artwork and unique artifacts. The historic building dates back to the 1880s, and Trevino has kept much of it intact to reflect its historic roots with lots of exposed brick, wood and an open kitchen. A spire from the original Arturo Fuente cigar factory from West Tampa (circa early 1900s) serves as the center focal point of the dining room, bringing a touch of Latin history to the space.

A serene outdoor patio filled with fresh herbs and comfortable seating will also feature live entertainment once Trevino and his team launch their weekend brunch. One of the restaurants most interesting components can’t be seen unless the guests go exploring.

At the bottom of the steps where the spire holds court is The Cellar, a prohibition style cocktail lounge that will serve a variety of El Buda’s signature cocktails and is the perfect place to begin, or end, an evening.

“We really want The Cellar to be a place where we can have a little fun and showcase some of the great cocktails we are bringing to El Buda,” Trevino said. “We want to invite the city’s top mixologists to come and present their ideas as well, and create a space that transports our guests back to the days of the speakeasy.”

El Buda is located at 116 W. Church Street (look for the side entrance adjacent to the SunRail tracks) and is open daily for lunch and dinner starting at 11:30am.

Weekend brunch is expected to launch before the end of the year. Learn more by visiting the restaurant’s Facebook Page or by calling (407) 203-8171. Guests can also follow on Instagram @ElBudaDowntown or Chef Trevino’s personal Twitter account @cheftrevino

Roy’s Restaurant was built upon European techniques, Pacific Rim cuisine and warm, from the heart hospitality that seeks to create a remarkable and unique dining experience.

There are currently four locations in Florida, with locations in Orlando, Bonita Springs, Jacksonville Beach and Tampa, but the first Roy's was opened in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1988 by namesake Roy Yamaguchi. Currently there are 20 Roy's restaurants in the continental United States, six in Hawaii, one in Japan and one in Guam.

Culinary pioneer and Roy's founder Roy Yamaguchi was born in Tokyo. It was while visiting his grandparents on Maui that he had his first taste of seafood bought fresh at seaside piers that would shape his future career.

At 19, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York as a master chef and moved to Los Angeles where he served as executive chef at La Serene. After gaining invaluable experience in LA, Roy decided it was time to head closer to his roots. He moved to Hawaii and opened the first Roy's in 1988, and eventually became a James Beard award winner.

Although, aside from six locations in Hawaii, and a location in Guam, Roy did sell the remainder of his locations and sold the brand. The rest of the restaurants that have been sold are doing a great job of upholding the style and techniques that Roy instilled in his original fusion cuisine at his original Roy's in Honolulu in 1988.

The food here blends classic techniques with adventurous Pacific Rim flavors, and outstanding seafood selections with great cocktails and an even better wine selection. Everything from Sushi to fried spring rolls is on the starter menu and a wide variety of seafood selections to braised short ribs of beef can be had for your entree selections.

The bar at Roy’s is a great place to grab some cocktails or sip on some wine while eating anything that you may want to try from the extensive bar bites menu.

The Polynesian Passion features Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Jamaican Rum, Don Q Coconut Rum and Passion Fruit. This drink is very strong, and very good.

While I am not the biggest fan of mussels, these Prince Edward Island Mussels on the bar bites menu at Roy’s are spectacular.

I also really enjoyed the Crispy Wagyu Beef Dumplings on the bar bites menu as well.

Auntie Lei's Aloha Roll with spicy tuna, yellowtail, salmon and avocado was very fresh and delicious. Roy’s has a few different rolls on the menu like the Lobster California Roll, a Surf and Turf Roll with Wagyu beef and a Tempura Crusted Ahi Roll to choose from.

This is a pair of Drunken Mules made with PAU Vodka. PAU is the only vodka made from Hawaiian pineapples. These mules are topped off with Rum soaked pineapples that will quite literally knock you on your behind, if you are not careful.

Our appetizer of Asian Oyster Rockefeller was pretty tasty and a unique spin on a classic dish.

The Lobster Ramen in a lobster miso broth is a great example of Roy’s fusion cuisine and was quite good.

The Braised Short Ribs of Beef were phenomenal. This is one of the best short rib’s I have had in a long time, and it’s one of the best you can get in Orlando. This is braised for 24 hours, then served in the natural braising sauce with Yukon mashed potatoes and broccolini.

I really found the Jade Pesto Sizzling Hawaiian Whitefish to be a pretty uncommon dish with immense flavors. This is made from snapper covered in pesto and served atop a warm scallion Shoyu Ponzu sauce with a side of sticky rice.

The hand carved 8oz. Filet Mignon with truffle onion misoyaki demi glaze was cooked perfectly medium, and the demi glaze was a great touch.

The Hot Chocolate Soufflé was a great dessert that was filled with oozing chocolate inside a flourless chocolate cake with a molten hot center served with raspberry coulis and vanilla bean ice cream.

No visit to Roy’s is complete without ordering the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. This is an absolutely decadent and delicious treat that is made with caramelized pineapple baked into a brown sugar pound cake.

Roy Yamaguchi is regarded as an international culinary visionary and the creator of Hawaiian fusion cuisine. As I said earlier, Roy may have sold off the brands, except for Hawaii locations, but the remaining locations are doing a fine job of upholding the vision and creativity that Roy established 1988.

The food here is really good, the cocktails are creative and the wine selection is impressive. They truly have something for everyone, and they even have vegetarian items on the menu as well. Stop by sometime and visit, you will not be disappointed.

Roy’s is open Monday to Thursday from 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM. Friday they are open until 11:00 PM, and Saturday they start at 5:00 PM and close at 11:00 PM. Sunday hours are from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

Danketsu is the all new Asian Fusion restaurant on Orlando’s east side. Although there is a big focus on Korean BBQ, the menu has plenty to offer in terms of sushi, noodles, hot pot and other popular Asian dishes.

Fusion cuisine or fusion food, is a general term for the combination of various forms of cookery and is offered in several forms. Danketsu may not cross mix dishes with one another, but they are certainly a regional fusion restaurant. Regional fusion combines different cuisines of a region into a single dining experience like combining the various cuisines of different Asian countries.

So the name Danketsu derived from Japanese, that is pronounced (don-ket-su) which means combination, union, and unity…. is a very fitting one.

The location on Lake Underhill was formerly a Hooters Wings, that has been closed for a few years now. The outside received a new paint job and got new signage, but the inside has been beautifully redone. The bar has a pretty cool mural painted on the wall with vibrant colors. Of course there are the obligatory super large TV screens with a large projector screen at the front of the restaurant. The main dining room is very open and spacious with plenty of regular tables and seating at the bar.

If you know ahead of time that you want Korean BBQ or Hot Pot, let the host station know and they will seat you in the section that has booths with tables that have built in burners and a table grill. Even if you decide after sitting at a regular table, they will gladly move you.

We started out with the Tuna Tataki that featured thinly sliced seared tuna served with ponzu sauce. The tuna was really good and delicately sliced with a very light sear.

Just to sample the quality of the sushi rolls at Danketsu, we ordered the Combo Set D. They have a decent selection of sushi, nigiri and sashimi on the menu with some pre selected roll options in the combo sets. The combo set D features a California roll, spicy tuna roll and a spicy salmon roll. The rice was nice and sticky and did not fall apart after dipping in soy, and the fish was fresh with a nice kick to it.

The Yakisoba noodles were the only disappointment of our evening. The noodles themselves were cooked well and had great consistency, but really lacked any flavor or toppings. For $13.00 I expected more chicken and vegetables.

The Miso Ramen was a very large portion and tasted exceptional. I would advise Danketsu to put more descriptions in the menu. Quite a few items lack any information that tells the guest exactly what they are getting. The miso ramen is simply listed as noodles in miso base, and that sounds rather plain especially when you look at the picture of the dish we got. Our server was also unsure of what the ramen came with.

Overall, we really liked Danketsu and since we live on the east side, we will certainly return. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are large. With two sake bombs, two beers and all of the food pictured above, our bill was $68.00... we had plenty left over for lunch the next day too.

The restaurant is fairly new, so I will give them some more time for adjustments and training servers to know the menu better. On our next visit we are doing the Korean BBQ and a Hot Pot...so stay tuned for that.

Danketsu is open from 4:00 pm to 2:00 am Monday to Sunday, and features nightly drink specials like $5.00 sake bombs on Friday and various specials for sporting events.

If you have been keeping up with all things Disney, more specifically the rebranded Disney Springs, you have heard about the complete redesign and all of the new restaurants that are open, with more scheduled to open soon.Morimoto Asia is one of those new restaurants that is located at The Landing at Disney Springs, which is an entertainment and dining retail district. With an overhaul and rebranding of this portion of the resort, Disney Springs is aiming to present a fresh and new face to the Magic Kingdom that is sure to be an extraordinary experience.

Morimoto Asia is the first collaboration with Patina Restaurant Group and Chef Masaharu Morimoto and the Japanese master chef’s first pan-Asian restaurant. Morimoto Asia offers an entirely new experience for guests, led by the creativity of Chef Morimoto, already one of the most inventive forces in Asian cuisine. The Patina Restaurant Group was built on the belief that culinary excellence is an art form, and that a superb visit to a cultural venue should be matched with equally inspired cuisine. This is a dynamic collaboration that has resulted in a restaurant that looks wonderful and delivers on the promise of culinary excellence.

Morimoto Asia is full of eye catching chandeliers, glass light sculptures and unique exhibition kitchens that showcase traditions like Peking duck carving and dim sum. Inside the 36-foot tall, two story layout of Morimoto you will find lounges, private dining spaces, and an exhibition glass encased kitchen that allows guests a behind the scenes glimpse of the culinary action. The second level sushi bar and lounge have a separate entrance.

The menu at Morimoto is described as Pan-Asian and was inspired and created by Chef Masaharu Morimoto, a Japanese chef, best known as an Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show Iron Chef and its spinoff Iron Chef America. He is also known for his unique style of presenting food.

Pan Asian food combines a little bit of everything from various Asian cultures, so at Morimoto Asia, you can find spectacular Chinese style spare ribs, Korean BBQ Kalbi short ribs, Vietnamese style Pho, Pad Thai cooked in the traditional Thai style, and of course lots of Japanese food with a large variety of sushi and sashimi.

Although Chef Morimoto has a wonderful selection of Sake and various other craft cocktails, beer goes with just about everything. As part of a special beer dinner pairing I was invited to, we were treated to a pairing from one of my favorite new brewers, Crooked Can Brewing Co. Crooked Can Brewery is an upstart craft brewery based in Winter Garden that is creating a cultural following with unique craft brews and excellent taste.

Our first course was the Spring Collection of Shellfish Ceviche that featured Alaskan king crab, Washington state mirugai (saltwater clam), Maine Uni (sea urchin), Salmon roe, and bean thread noodles. This was a very unique dish with all kinds of textures from the various ingredients that all worked really well together for a great starter.

The beer paired with the first course was Crooked Can’s seasonal Cherry Blossom Kolsch that will only be made for Morimoto Asia, and for a limited time. Very crisp and mild with excellent flavors and drinkability.

The second course was a Duo of Duck with Morimoto Peking Duck wrapped in flour pancakes, hoisin miso, apricot chili and scallions. The duck was accompanied with a consomme soup of daikon, carrots and foie gras. The duck was nice and crispy inside and full of flavor and the soup was a wonderful addition.

The second course was paired with Crooked Can’s Bock Humbug, which is a Dopplebock, or double bock which makes it a darker and maltier beer but slightly sweet with an ABV of 6.9%.

For our third course, we had a Trio of Chicken Satays with chicken skins, boneless chicken wings and chicken thigh with yuzo-kosho (a fermented chili and yuzu peel seasoning), Himalayan salt, spicy garlic glaze,peanut sauce and cilantro. All of the chicken was delicious and paired perfectly with Crooked Can’s Mc Swagger Amber Ale.

Our fourth course was Domestic Wagyu Sirloin “Ishiyaki” that is grilled tableside in a ceramic fire pot with a hefty cooking stone. This dish was served with kimchi fried rice cake, fresh wasabi and a smoked soy for dipping. Wagyu of any type is usually pretty good, and the one at Morimoto did not disappoint, and it was a fun experience to cook it yourself. This was paired with Crooked Can’s Stout beer that was very dark and full bodied.

Our fifth course, or the dessert course was Taiyaki, which is a Japanese style fish shaped pancake stuffed with sweet azuki beans. This was served with a matcha green tea gelato. I did bite the fish’s head off before I took a picture, but I couldn't resist trying the fun to eat dessert. Paired together with the gelato, this was a great ending to our food journey for the evening.

The dessert was paired with perhaps my favorite Crooked Can beer of all time… Cloudchaser. Crooked Can produces this wheat beer in the true Hefeweizen fashion that leaves it unfiltered and cloudy. The beer has unique flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum and notes of apples with little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol.

Although I had these on a separate visit to Morimoto Asia, It's worth noting the Morimoto Spare Ribs with cilantro and hoisin sweet chili glaze are probably some of the best you will find in Orlando. I don't say that lightly either..they are addictive and darn good.

Disney Springs is still being built up and undergoing a lot of change, but there are quite a few restaurants open already, and it's worth a trip to go visit… especially Morimoto Asia. The restaurant is beautiful inside and out with a two story dining space and they even have an upstairs outside section with a fun tabletop shuffleboard. The menu is fun and inviting and even the pickiest of eaters should be able to find something to eat.

Crooked Can is making its way into a lot of establishments lately, but the best way to get some is to go visit them directly at 426 W Plant St, Winter Garden, Florida 34787. They keep a steady rotation of current and seasonal brews on tap for consumption. They do Brewery tours on Sundays that max out at 12 people, so it's best to call ahead and plan a time at (407) 395-9520. You can find out more here: http://www.crookedcan.com

I have always been a fan of Bento Cafe, especially the Downtown Orlando location.

Bento primarily serves up what is best described as Pan-Asian cuisine, with a wide array of different foods from all over Asia. The downtown location is great if you happen to work or live near there, as it has become a staple in that area for quick and fresh Asian cuisine at a reasonable price. I however live on the east side of Orlando, and unless I ask my wife to bring me something home, it’s a bit out of the way. That is why I am very happy to share with you my most recent review of the all new Bento Cafe UCF. Yes you heard right...Bento has a brand new location in the Plaza at University, and the food is just as awesome as it is at any other location.

The Bento Cafe brand, If you are not familiar with them, is a small chain of seven restaurants with more on the way, that offers a creative mixture of Asian inspired dishes from wok stir-fry to fire-grilled items to sushi using the finest Asian spices and the freshest ingredients all at great prices.

The concept at Bento is to bring unique and authentic Asian food in a fast and efficient manner. Everything on the menu is cooked to order and prepared in minutes and served up in an atmosphere that is fun, friendly and stylish. The word “Bento” means boxed-meal in Japanese, and they have a wide selection of traditional boxed meals, but the menu includes a wide variety of sushi rolls, sashimi, nigiri and chirashi bowls as well as soups, udon noodles, rice bowls and noodle bowls. They also offer Boba Tea, a popular Asian beverage that is consisted of milk tea and chewy tapioca pearls.

Every store is designed differently which makes visiting each Bento Cafe an experience. Each store will be either dominated by the warm red dragon colors or the cool blue dragon colors. Each Bento has a sushi station, but the UCF location has seats at the sushi bar, so you can watch the chefs prepare your rolls live and in person.

Speaking of sushi, the Jade roll with marinated spicy tuna, eel, avocado, krab delite, masago, scallions and eel sauce tasted just as good as it looked.

For my entree, I chose the the Sesame Wok Stir Fry bowl. This dish comes with your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu and red bell peppers, snow peas, onions, baby corn in a sesame soy sauce. I really enjoyed the flavors, and the portion was more than I could eat.

Now, I really did enjoy my entree selection, but it would be dishonest of me not to tell you that I was really jealous of my wife’s Bento Box. She opted for the Sriracha Garlic Chicken in a bento box. You can get chicken, shrimp or tofu grilled or fried with red bell peppers and onions with a sweet and spicy Sriracha sauce for dipping. Bento boxes come with your choice of steamed rice or lo mein, ginger salad, and string beans and a dessert. Not only was this delicious and lots of food, it only costs $8.95, and that's a bargain.

The UCF Bento Cafe is the third one to open in the Orlando area, and I can now say I have been to all three, and all three locations have been very consistent in quality and service. Sometimes chains can vary in quality and the overall experience you may have there, and I am impressed with the consistency of Bento Cafe.

If you are looking for some really good Asian food with variety and great flavors in a fast casual environment, check out Bento if you have not done so already. Whats even better is the fact that you can dine there without putting a hurt on your wallet and without sacrificing quality over price.